“I got it! I got it!” Kori yelled as he caught an incoming ball.

Elizabeth Hamilton, who had thrown the ball, smiled at Kori and said, “Nice catch! Now throw it back!” The two children played catch on their 8th summer to celebrate Kori Hyoga's birthday.

With a mischievous grin he stepped back and threw it with all his might. “Catch this!” Kori threw the ball but winced as it flew way further than either of the two young children had anticipated and went straight into the Forbidden Forest.

The children in the village are to avoid going in the forest at all costs as there are rumors of hunters and gatherers never returning. The reason for this is bloodthirsty Demons and Demon Beasts. Powerful Demons that can easily kill 5 men alone are said to lurk in the forest.

But seeing Elizabeth’s sad expression, he completely ignored this rule. Kori gave a broad grin. “Don’t worry Elizabeth. I’ll get it and be back in a flash!”

Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief. “Kori don’t! Have you forgotten the rules?”

Kori smiled. “It’ll be fine. I’m just going in and I’ll be back before you know it!” Without waiting for a response, Kori ventured into the Forbidden Forest. Worried, Elizabeth hurried after him.

“Ah! There it is!” Kori shouted to Elizabeth after finding their ball. “You know, you really didn’t have to follow me here.”

Elizabeth responded, “I had no choice! What if you get lost? What if you get hurt? I have to tell the village elder!”

“Whatever.” Kori walked over to pick up the ball, but then a giant clawed foot stepped on the ball with a growl, easily popping it. Kori froze and shakily looked up to see what had popped their precious ball that Kori had received for his birthday.

A class C Demonic Beast. A huge beast with the head of an ox and body of a tiger of a beautiful orange color. Its ox head snarled, revealing rows of deadly sharp teeth and started drooling. It sniffed him and reared with a disgusted face.

Kori realized that it was about to charge. ”Run! It’ll kill us both!” He grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and started running as fast as possible from it. After a moment, he heard stomping, trees crashing, and a terrifying roar that doesn’t suit an ox head at all.

The noises came closer and closer, until they burst into an opening. The Demon Beast was closing in – fast. The Beast had also made it to the clearing when the children were at the center. When Kori looked back at the it, he tripped on a root, bringing Elizabeth with him.

The two children stared in horror as the bloodthirsty Beast charged at them at dangerous speeds and strength. Kori embraced Elizabeth as he squeezed his eyes shut and stretched out his right arm towards the Beast as if to protect her, then a flash of blinding white light hit.

The Beast should have charged right through them, killing them instantly. What happened? Kori thought as he slowly opened his eyes and yelped as the Demon Beast's horns were an inch away from his eyes, frozen solid.

He scrambled away with Elizabeth still in his arms. Kori could’ve sworn the Demon Beast was still staring at him with bloody rage.

His right hand was bleeding. And cold. Elizabeth, she was passed out cold in his arms. Then he noticed his own drowsiness as the world went black before he could even comprehend what had happened.

Kori stood in a freezing icy room that was impossibly massive. A beautiful woman stood before him. She wore pure white clothes with a sky-blue accent, flowing white hair, and magnificent dark blue eyes that seemed as vast as the ocean itself.

Kori felt like he would be crushed just from her presence and pressure. She stepped towards him and Kori tried stepping back in response. But he couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He could only watch as the woman walked to him with a beautiful yet somehow bewitching smile.

She touched his face lightly. Her fingers were freezing cold to the touch. So cold that he thought he would freeze to death just from the contact.

Ice started spreading from her fingers onto his cheeks. It kept spreading over his body, his face, until it completely consumed him.

Kori woke with a start, grasping for air and sweating despite the fact that he was extremely cold. He looked around, trying to grasp the situation. He was in his bed, back in the village.

His room was strangely cold. The window was shut and so was the door. Kori paid it no mind however and sighed in relief. The Demon Beast must have been a dream.

As he tried getting out of his sheets, he winced in pain. He looked at his right hand. It was covered in a bloody bandage and Kori cursed under his breath. This wound was proof of the Beast. Everything he had hoped was a dream was true.

Then Kori remembered that Elizabeth had passed out when the Beast had attacked. He had to go see her. As Kori got a change of clothes, he could have sworn he saw a faint circle of frost near where he had slept. But when he took a closer look, he saw nothing.